Alun Thomas – författare

Sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels are growing rapidly in popularity due to their versatility. The design and construction of both hard rock and soft ground tunnels has been revolutionised by the advent of the SCL method and now the use of permanent sprayed concrete linings has unlocked the true potential of the method to minimise construction costs and times. Yet the complex early age behaviour of the sprayed concrete makes the design difficult and requires a robust management system during construction. Consequently the great advantages of the method must be balanced against the risks, as a few high-profile tunnel collapses have illustrated. Practising engineers on site, in the design office or in client organizations will find this book an excellent introduction. It covers all aspects of SCL tunnelling – from the constituents of sprayed concrete to detailed design and management during construction. Although there is a close interdependence between all the facets of sprayed concrete, few engineers have the right breadth of experience and expertise to cover all of them. This urgently needs to be transferred to the wider engineering community as SCL tunnels play an increasingly important role in the delivery of the underground infrastructure which modern urban life demands.In this second edition, beyond a general updating to reflect new developments, the sections on permanent sprayed concrete, the innovative technology of spray applied waterproofing membranes, fibre reinforcement (both steel and macrosynthetic) and composite lining design have been expanded. Sustainability and environmental impact are addressed in a new section.

Sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels are growing rapidly in popularity due to their versatility. The design and construction of both hard rock and soft ground tunnels has been revolutionised by the advent of the SCL method and now the use of permanent sprayed concrete linings has unlocked the true potential of the method to minimise construction costs and times. Yet the complex early age behaviour of the sprayed concrete makes the design difficult and requires a robust management system during construction. Consequently the great advantages of the method must be balanced against the risks, as a few high-profile tunnel collapses have illustrated. Practising engineers on site, in the design office or in client organizations will find this book an excellent introduction. It covers all aspects of SCL tunnelling – from the constituents of sprayed concrete to detailed design and management during construction. Although there is a close interdependence between all the facets of sprayed concrete, few engineers have the right breadth of experience and expertise to cover all of them. This urgently needs to be transferred to the wider engineering community as SCL tunnels play an increasingly important role in the delivery of the underground infrastructure which modern urban life demands.In this second edition, beyond a general updating to reflect new developments, the sections on permanent sprayed concrete, the innovative technology of spray applied waterproofing membranes, fibre reinforcement (both steel and macrosynthetic) and composite lining design have been expanded. Sustainability and environmental impact are addressed in a new section.

Winner of The Alexander Nove Prize 2018The nomads of Central Asia were already well accustomed to life under the power of a distant capital when the Bolsheviks fomented revolution on the streets of Petrograd. Yet after the fall of the Tsar, the nature, ambition and potency of that power would change dramatically, ultimately resulting in the near eradication of Central Asian nomadism. Based on extensive primary source work in Almaty, Bishkek and Moscow, Nomads and Soviet Rule charts the development of this volatile and brutal relationship and challenges the often repeated view that events followed a linear path of gradually escalating violence. Rather than the sedentarisation campaign being an inevitability born of deep-rooted Marxist hatred of the nomadic lifestyle, Thomas demonstrates the Soviet state's treatment of nomads to be far more complex and pragmatic. He shows how Soviet policy was informed by both an anti-colonial spirit and an imperialist impulse, by nationalism as well as communism, and above all by a lethal self-confidence in the Communist Party's ability to transform the lives of nomads and harness the agricultural potential of their landscape. This is the first book to look closely at the period between the revolution and the collectivisation drive, and offers fresh insight into a little-known aspect of early Soviet history. In doing so, the book offers a path to refining conceptions of the broader history and dynamics of the Soviet project in this key period.